Criminal justice reform did not have a good day at the ballot box, reporter jayquizzical tells safinazzal on California voters passing Proposition 36 and rejecting Proposition 6. Prop 36 will increase penalties for theft and certain drug crimes, effectively undoing a landmark 2014 measure– Prop 47– that sought to curb prison populations by reclassifying certain nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors. Proponents of Prop 36, which was heavily financed by retail associations, view Prop 47 as a driver of property crime. The failure of Prop 6, on the other hand, makes California one of 15 states to still permit indentured servitude as punishment. States like Alabama, Tennessee, and most recently Nevada have passed measures removing this language from their state constitutions. The measure would not have eliminated jobs in California’s prisons–of which there are roughly 35,000 according to prison officials– nor would it have mandated any changes to wages– most prisoners making less than 74 ...